May photo: silent, endless work

Walking through a Hanoi neighborhood where incense stick makers congregate, we came across this woman, who was cutting wood into thin strips. After asking permission to take some photos, which she answered with a broad smile, she silently continued her work, focused intently. She had a child on her back, who took a while to notice us.

We remained silent, not disturbing her. It's a repetitive, endless manual task, which she performed with absolute precision. I was impressed.

I used the natural light coming through the door and a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the axe as it cut the wood.

Camera: Panasonic G9M2. Lens: Leica Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm F/2.8-4.0 ASPH. ISO 200, 1/60 sec, f/3.8. Author: Juan Fco. Abal